No matter who was talking about it – CPG, NGO or supplier – the same issues were at the forefront of the Sustainability in Packaging Europe conference in Barcelona.
Tesco, Carlsberg Group, Unilever, L’OREAL, Mars, Dow, Chanel and Nestlé were just a few of the companies represented who shared their position on packaging sustainability. A primary message? Do something, now. As Gerald Rebitzer, Sustainability Director of Amcor said, “Perfect is the enemy of good” and we need to act now – even in small ways - to begin to see improvements. Legislation, consumer behavior, inadequate recycling collection and lack of end markets are all factors that may hinder the good intentions of sustainability efforts, but with climate change and oceanic waste undeniably present, there seemed to be unanimous agreement that small steps are better than none at all. Most brands who presented have 2025 targeted to implement sustainability changes.
